


Kisses and other schemes

by starryhoch (slytherminie)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Fuckbuddies, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentioned SEVENTEEN Ensemble, Minor Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Seokmin | DK, Minor Lee Seokmin | DK/Yoon Jeonghan, Multi, Scheming, jeonghan has crushes, jeonghan is gay what is new, joshua is an angel but not really, oh my god they were roommates, seungcheol is The Boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26589511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherminie/pseuds/starryhoch
Summary: His problem with crushes is that Jeonghan has never experienced two at the same time. He didn’t even think it was possible to like two people with the same intensity, and yet here he is.It’s almost comical how the two of them see right through him like he was transparent, but can’t spot what’s right below their noses. They read him like an open book, but they both keep on missing the opening line.___In which Jeonghan has a roommate, and his roommate has a friend with benefits.And now Jeonghan has two crushes.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Yoon Jeonghan, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 29
Kudos: 264





	Kisses and other schemes

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe I'm posting yet another svt fic? Incredible.  
> This is just me being in love with jihancheol, so if it's incredibly soft for no reason, well. I'm sorry-  
> I had this thing in my drafts for so long, I just needed it to be done. Hope you'll enjoy <3  
> Unbetaed as usual, it's 3 am, if there are typos i am sorry :D

Jeonghan doesn't exactly know when he starts having feelings for Seungcheol, but he knows when realization finally hits him and his mind screams: " _Fuck, I might like him a bit too much._ " 

It happens without any fanfare, no fireworks or anything. Seungcheol is making breakfast for the both of them, and Jeonghan's insides fill with warmth at the sight of his roommate toasting bread, his shoulders looking broad in the loose black tank top he's wearing. It’s a sight he got used to during the months they spent together in the same living space. Never a big fan of breakfast, Jeonghan is usually too sleepy to fix himself anything besides a warm cup of coffee and, if he is feeling fancy enough, a cookie or two. 

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Seungcheol scowls when he witnesses Jeonghan downing a cup of coffee in a rush for the third time in the span of three days, his tone one of friendly reprimand. Shrugging, Jeonghan leaves his dirty cup in the sink, “Breakfast is too early in the morning to be the most important meal of the day.”

Seungcheol scowls harder, his eyebrows knitted together in what looks like heartfelt concern for his newly acquired roommate and his unhealthy habits. Jeonghan would feel touched if he was not running late for class. Waving his hand in the air, he says goodbye to Seungcheol and forgets everything about their exchange. 

They don’t really know each other, more like they know _of_ each other, up until they start living together. Seungcheol is Jihoon’s best friend, and Jihoon is friends with Soonyoung, who is _friends_ with Seokmin, and that’s how Jeonghan finds a new place to live in when he starts the first year of his master degree. Having a place on campus has been fine for the previous years, but now he’s supposed to start an internship, he’s going to have a tighter schedule, and a cramped room shared with another student isn’t gonna be enough. That’s why, when Seokmin tells him that one of his friends might have an empty room in a nice apartment near the city center, he jumps at the opportunity. 

He doesn’t know what he expects upon entering his new accommodation, but what he finds is a man with his hair dyed grey and warm eyes, the cutest gummy smile Jeonghan has ever seen curling his lips. 

“You must be Jeonghan,” he says, taking the box he is carrying in his hands, and Jeonghan is nothing but a weak, gay man, so his focus shifts from the guy’s pretty grin to his arms, and the way they flex throughout the day while he helps moving his stuff inside. 

Now, there's a few things Jeonghan is very certain of. First is his own beauty. Second is the fact that no matter how hard he tries to deny it, Chan is no longer a baby. Third is that his new roommate is a charmer, and definitely boyfriend material. 

Fact that gets confirmation when Seungcheol starts cooking breakfast for Jeonghan at every occasion he gets, whenever they get up around the same time for classes. It becomes routine, easy conversation over a warm meal, and so, when the sudden revelation that he has a big, fat crush on his roommate hits Jeonghan in the face, he can’t exactly say it’s unexpected. If anything, it would be weird if he didn’t catch the hots for him. 

It dawns on Jeonghan that morning, when Seungcheol is rapping to a song playing from his phone while flipping an omelette in a pan, that he might be a little bit enamoured with the man. Heart eyes, butterflies in his stomach, all the stupid little signs are pointing in that direction. It doesn’t feel like one of those stupid crushes that he can ignore, it’s not like that one time he saw Mingyu reading a book with a very serious scowl upon his face and for a hot second he wondered what it would be like to sit in his lap. This is much, much worse. 

It is worse because Seungcheol looks amazing at every hour of the day, whether he’s coming back from a run, all red in the face and soaked in sweat, or he’s been sitting in the same position for hours, staring at his computer screen, hair a mess on top of his head from where he keeps running his hands through it. It is worse because Seungcheol is not only handsome, but also sweet, caring, and a good listener. He gives great advice and always offers a helping hand if his friends are in need. It is worse because now Seungcheol knows how he likes his eggs in the morning, on top if at all. 

Jeonghan prides himself on always being sincere and blunt, but this time around he takes some time to reflect and understand his feelings, before speaking up. Is he so attracted to Seungcheol just because he’s making him food? Is he that cheap of a man? That’s what he asks himself, and the answer is obviously no. There’s more to it. All the reasons why Seungcheol would make a great boyfriend pile up into Jeonghan’s brain, coming up every time they sit together at the kitchen table and they make light conversation about classes and work.

The thing is, Jeonghan doesn’t know if Seungcheol likes men, and he doesn’t know if he likes _him_. Sure, he prides himself of being handsome, and charming, and also very witty, but not everyone is automatically attracted to him, he’s aware of that. He’s also aware of having no idea about what Seungcheol likes in a significant other, who are his exes, or if he is seeing someone at the moment. 

The weeks pile up, and Jeonghan’s crush gets worse and worse. No sign of a lover in Seungcheol’s life, but that doesn’t convince Jeonghan in making the first step. More like, he tries to avoid thinking of Seungcheol in any light that isn’t friendly, even though living with him makes it very difficult. Convincing himself that he doesn’t want to act on his growing feelings is easy when he thinks of the possibility of Seungcheol not liking him back, of making things uncomfortable between them, of the annoyance in needing to find another accomodation if their friendly relationship would fall apart. The cons outweigh the pros, that’s what Jeonghan tells himself.

Life is nothing but a complicated mess, and soon enough signs of Seungcheol’s sexual preferences appear in the house, in the form of boys escaping from his room at unholy hours of the night and girls pretending they were not doing a walk of shame the mornings after. At least now Jeonghan knows he could have a chance, if he wanted to. 

There are more pressing matters though, Jeonghan thinks. There’s school, his work, friends he needs to see and places he wants to visit. If he’s desperate, he can always call Seokmin for a quick, steamy hookup. It wouldn’t be the first, probably not the last time. 

His crush gets compressed into a tiny ball, and for a while he almost forgets about it. Almost.

~

It's not his fault if Jeonghan catches feelings for Joshua. If anything it's Seungcheol's, for being an early bird and leaving Joshua behind at their apartment every morning after one of their hookups, going out for a jog instead of spending time with his fuckbuddy in bed. Joshua looks soft in the early light of day, eyes barely open when he shuffles in the kitchen to find Jeonghan with his face buried inside a coffee cup. 

The first time they meet like that it’s pretty awkward, but not as much as it should be. 

The night before, Jeonghan tries to come home as late as he can, since Seungcheol sent him a warning text about having someone over. It isn't the first time it happened, for either of them, but lately they didn't have much time to breathe, let alone having sex. Jeonghan notices the bags under Seungcheol's eyes, the way his fingernails are bitten raw, and he wishes he could help. He does, by making tea for his roommate and quizzing him to make him memorize stuff for his upcoming exams, but he can see how jittery and nervous Seungcheol is every time they sit together in the living room to study. 

So, in a way, he is happy that his friend is letting out steam with the help of someone. Wishing that someone to be himself, well, that's just a nasty side effect of his stupid crush. At least Seungcheol is polite enough to alert him before he gets home, leaving him time to brace himself. 

When he enters their shared apartment and hears subdued moans he winces at himself, trying to tiptoe all the way to his room without crashing into any furniture and making more sounds than necessary. The soundproof earphones his mom gifted him for his birthday come in handy now, and he buries himself in Netflix shows to avoid thinking of Seungcheol fucking someone else in the room next to his. He falls asleep with his laptop on his chest, and he wakes up the following morning with a stiff neck, and a black screen staring at him where his computer has run out of battery. 

Checking his phone he realizes he woke up one hour before his alarm. The temptation to go back to sleep is strong, but his stomach rumbles in hunger, so he closes his laptop and crawls out of bed, hoping not to bump into his roommate once he reaches their shared kitchen. 

Seungcheol's running shoes are missing from their place next to the front door, so Jeonghan deems it safe to have breakfast out there, no fear of bumping into a disheveled roommate. To be honest he doesn't even want to think about _that_ , images of messy bedhead hair and hickeys flashing in his mind. The coffee he pours is black and warm and he drowns in it, trying to focus on the burn on his tongue instead of the fantasies about his friend trying to take roots inside his brain. 

When he spots movement out of the corner of his eye, he whips his head in that direction, startled at the sudden appearance of a blonde boy in the kitchen. Said boy looks tired, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, and he also looks like he went through several rounds of mind-blowing sex with Seungcheol. Jeonghan can't say he isn't envious. The man is wearing a shirt Jeonghan recognizes as Seungcheol’s, which is a bit too big for his frame. He’s oh-so-cute, Jeonghan's mind provides. Great, he thinks, now he knows what a crazy night between the sheets with Seungcheol looks like. Intel he didn’t want to have, thanks a lot, pretty stranger. 

At that point the guy is still walking barefoot towards the kitchen counter, eyes trained on the coffee maker, not having noticed Jeonghan sitting on a stool. He coughs. 

"Fuck!" The blonde yelps, clutching his hand over his heart and standing petrified at the sight of Jeonghan sipping from a mug, expression peaceful. 

"Good morning to you too," Jeonghan grins at him, teasing despite himself. That's something he's very good at, being a little shit first thing in the morning. 

"You scared me shitless, man," the guy says, eyeing Jeonghan before probably deeming him harmless and resuming his walk to the source of every college student's happiness, coffee. 

"I didn't know you were still here," Jeonghan shrugs, dips a cookie into his cup and munches on it in silence. The man moves around the apartment like he lives there, opening cabinets and acting like he knows where stuff is stored. Mesmerized, Jeonghan's eyes follow his movements until the stranger plops down next to him at the kitchen aisle. 

"Seungcheollie told me you would probably be here when I got up, but I forgot," blondie says, stealing a cookie from Jeonghan's plate and smiling at him sweetly, "I'm Hong Jisoo."

"Yoon Jeonghan, but I think you know that already." Jeonghan lets the other steal two more cookies, stares as he eats them voraciously. Somehow, he's endeared. 

"I do," Jisoo confirms, grins and takes a sip from his mug, closing his eyes while he enjoys the warmth of the beverage going down his throat. "Can I move here, too?" He asks then, "Your coffee is amazing."

Jeonghan can't help but snort a laugh at that, shaking his head in denial. 

"Nope, I don't want to deal with those noises I heard last night on a daily basis."

Pink colors Jisoo's cheeks, his gaze dropping onto his hands and the ceramic he's holding between them. "Oh," he stammers out, "I'm sorry." What he is sorry for, Jeonghan isn't sure, but he takes the apology and smirks, tapping his fingers over the counter. 

"It's fine, I have very good earphones," he explains, and then, because he's in a chatty mood, "I'm sure you couldn't help being that loud. Seungcheollie looks like he knows what he's doing."

At that, he expects Jisoo's blush to get worse, for him to grow even more embarrassed. Instead, there's a glint in the blonde's eyes when he looks back up at Jeonghan, his gaze mischievous when he speaks again: "Seems like you've thought about that quite a lot." 

Jeonghan is taken aback, mouth hanging open, brain frozen. There's a chuckle coming out of Jisoo's mouth, loud and airy, and this time it's Jeonghan who has to duck his head to hide a blush. 

"Seungcheol forgot to mention his roommate was handsome, though," Jisoo muses, and at any other given moment Jeonghan would love the praise, especially coming from someone looking _that_ good, but that day his face just gets redder, his tongue twisted. Smooth Jeonghan, the one who flirts with anyone and anything, is nowhere in sight. 

"He forgot to say his fuckbuddy was a demon, too," he blurts out, making Jisoo laugh again.

"That's a secret between us two, Jeonghan," Jisoo winks at him, "He thinks I'm an angel."

 _Of course he does,_ Jeonghan is about to retort, but instead he goes with: "He must be blind not to see those wicked horns of yours.”

Jisoo’s laugh fills the kitchen, the sound of it sweet to Jeonghan’s ears. He smiles, pretending to point at invisible horns sprouting from Jisoo’s forehead. 

“I guess it takes a demon to recognize one,” the blonde jabs, steals the last cookie from Jeonghan’s hand and munches on it, satisfaction clear on his face. Jeonghan hides a snort inside his coffee cup. 

When Seungcheol finally comes back from his morning workout he finds them sitting on the couch in the living room, watching something on the TV while trading caustic commentary about love triangles. 

"Josh, you're still here," Seungcheol looks partly amused, but mostly puzzled by the scene unfolding before his eyes. 

"Josh?" Jeonghan asks, raising an eyebrow quizzically at his new companion. Jisoo shrugs. 

"It's my English name, Joshua," he explains, "I'm used to it more than to Jisoo. I lived in Los Angeles until I started college."

"Joshua sounds nice," Jeonghan affirms, and Seungcheol looks even more confused, his eyebrows knitted together.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asks, his back to them while he’s busy removing his running shoes. His butt is all Jeonghan can focus on when Seungcheol squats down to put the shoes in their rightful place, and when he turns around Joshua is looking in the same direction, his tongue between his teeth while his gaze stays fixed on Seungcheol’s impressive backside. Trying not to snort, Jeonghan denies every implication. "We're just having some budding time, Cheollie. You can join us." 

"Maybe after a shower," Joshua adds, and Seungcheol smirks at that, wiggling his eyebrows. "Do you want to come with me?" he asks, obviously to Joshua, but Jeonghan wishes he was the one getting the proposition instead. 

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm exhausted as it is," Joshua throws himself down on the couch in a show of how tired he is, ending with his head in Jeonghan's lap and smiling sweetly at Seungcheol from there. "Have fun on your own,” he dismisses Seungcheol with a wave of his hand in the air. 

There's a pause there, Seungcheol assessing Joshua with an unreadable light in his eyes, while the blonde just stares back with a big grin stretching his lips. There’s an entire silent conversation going on that Jeonghan isn’t part of, and he’s really curious on what exactly the two of them are saying with just their eyes. Silence stretches for a while, until Seungcheol rolls his eyes. 

"Fine," Seungcheol concedes, turning on his heels and heading towards the bathroom, "But I thought you had a class at ten?" He adds as an afterthought, twirling back to throw another glance at his buddy. 

Joshua clicks his tongue, says "I'm too tired to follow a Maths seminar, I'm good where I am," making a scene out of squishing his cheek against Jeonghan's cotton-clad thigh. If the latter blushes, no one can see it from where he's hiding his face behind his phone. 

All the times Joshua sleeps over at theirs after a round of what Jeonghan supposes is mind-blowing sex with Seungcheol, they find each other in the kitchen to have breakfast together in the morning. It isn’t helping Jeonghan’s sanity, because where he thought he had a big, fat crush on his roommate, it turns out he has a bigger, fatter crush on his roommate’s fuckbuddy. It’s maddening. 

Joshua is funny, charming and a little bit of a menace. He goes around the apartment in oversized shirts and no pants, pretends not to see the way Jeonghan looks at him when he bends over to pick something out of the lower drawers. Cunning, he flexes his biceps every occasion he has. It drives Jeonghan up the wall, the way Joshua falls with his head in his lap whenever they’re on the couch together, watching TV shows while they wait for Seungcheol to come back from his morning jog. There’s a feral light in Joshua’s eyes at times, like he’s barely stopping himself from doing _something_ , but Jeonghan doesn’t know what that something is, and if he should or shouldn’t be afraid of it. If he should or shouldn’t anticipate it, want it, crave it.

It’s harmless, for the most part. Jeonghan falls a little more into the pit of appreciating Joshua Hong each day passing, and at the same time he gains a friend. The way they click together is just too perfect to be real, jagged edges colliding to make a perfect single piece. Even so, Jeonghan once again ignores the butterflies trying to make their way out of his chest every single time Joshua fixes his hair for him, and focuses on the long and boring textbooks he has to memorize for his exams. No time for pretty boys, Jeonghan lies to himself, and hopes his heart doesn’t burst into flames the next time Joshua smiles at him.

~

His problem with crushes is that Jeonghan has never experienced two at the same time. He didn’t even think it was possible to like two people with the same intensity, and yet here he is. 

It’s almost comical how the two of them see right through him like he was transparent, but can’t spot what’s right below their noses. They read him like an open book, but they both keep on missing the opening line.

"How did you two meet?" Jeonghan asks one morning while he's studying in the kitchen, Seungcheol sitting on the sofa, focused on his laptop and an essay that is due the following day. The grey-haired man doesn't even raise his head, doesn't ask who Jeonghan is talking about. They both know who's the subject of the question, since Joshua just left their apartment after stealing a glass of juice from their fridge. Seungcheol's fingers type fast on the keyboard while he answers: "Cat café." 

Confusion clouds Jeonghan's face, his eyebrows rising in puzzlement. 

"You don't like cats," he points out, tapping his pen against his empty coffee cup and keeping his eyes on Seungcheol's face, enamored with the way his nose is scrunched in focus, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. He doesn’t even question the fact that he’s learned so many trivial things about Seungcheol, about his likes and dislikes. He’s too far gone for that. 

"But Wonwoo does," Seungcheol says, as if that's enough explanation. And actually, it is. Because Wonwoo has recently been through a nasty breakup, and Seungcheol is a good friend, amazing even, and it's just normal for him to bring Wonwoo to a place where he can be happy and surrounded by soft, adorable balls of fur. Jeonghan internally sighs. Seungcheol has set the bar so high, no man will ever compare in Jeonghan's mind. 

"Josh works there part time, and he slipped me his number on our way out," Seungcheol pauses, puts his eyes on Jeonghan and grins, his gummy smile that makes Jeonghan's stomach twist making an appearance. "He even drew a little cat next to the digits."

Jeonghan snorts, when in reality he wants to cry. "What a dork."

Seungcheol hums in agreement, the smile lingering on the corners of his lips. There's silence for a while, Jeonghan going back to his notes while Seungcheol works, the sound of his laptop's keys the only thing disturbing the quiet. 

"Why are you asking?"

"Just curious," Jeonghan replies, maybe a bit too fast.

"You know," Seungcheol slows his typing, his gaze pinning Jeonghan in his seat before he can escape from the room with whichever excuse his mind comes up with, "We're not dating. It's a no strings attached agreement between the two of us."

"I know," Jeonghan confirms, nodding his head and resuming turning the pages of his book to avoid eye contact. Seungcheol clicks his tongue. 

"You're acting like you don't," he points out, and Jeonghan can't see his face, but by the sound of his voice he knows he has his disappointed dad expression on. It's the one he uses when Soonyoung gets Chan drunk off his ass, and Seungcheol has to make sure the younger one doesn't break his neck trying to do backflips on the sofa. 

A sigh makes its way past Jeonghan's lips.

"It's not that easy." 

"Isn't it?" Seungcheol scoffs, "You like Josh. It's safe to say that he likes you too, and you're both so in sync with each other that it scares me sometimes."

Jeonghan chuckles at that, finally raising his head and meeting Seungcheol's eyes again. The older one looks amused. 

"You're like the little angel and devil on my shoulder, except you're both devils,” he says, stops typing altogether to put his whole attention on Jeonghan, “It’s not that hard. Just ask him out.”

 _But what about you_ , Jeonghan wants to reply, _what if I want to ask you out, too?_

He bites his lip instead, cocks his head to the side as if he’s considering the idea. “I’ll think about it,” he lies through his teeth, smiles at Seungcheol before going back to his notes. He hopes the other forgets their conversation altogether. 

The thing is, Seungcheol is nothing but persistent, and Joshua is cut from the exact same cloth. They’re both stubborn, and they’re both trying to push Jeonghan in the other’s arms for some reason. 

It’s a few days after his conversation with Seungcheol that Jeonghan finds himself next to Joshua on the couch, half-heartedly watching a movie while he should be paying attention at the textbook uselessly opened in his lap.

“Han.”

Joshua has his head on Jeonghan’s shoulder, is curled up at his side. To be honest, Jeonghan thought he was asleep, given that he stopped commenting on the movie they’re supposedly watching. Apparently Joshua was thinking, mulling over his next words. 

“Why aren’t you making a move on Cheol?” And there it is, the blatant obliviousness. They’re both giving him dating advice about each other, and all Jeonghan wants to do is scream in their faces. 

“I don’t think he’s into me.” 

That gets Joshua’s attention, the blonde rising from his comfortable spot at Jeonghan’s side and sitting cross-legged, facing Jeonghan, studying him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Jeonghan misses his warmth, wants nothing but to find an excuse to bury himself into his embrace. It has been a few rough weeks, between work and classes, and he’s exhausted. 

The fact that Joshua came over before Seungcheol got home from university is a lucky coincidence that they can use to spend some time together. When Joshua got there he found Jeonghan sitting with his head between his hands, staring off into space, and turned on the TV before plopping down next to him on the couch and curling around him. The serotonin boost Joshua’s presence gives Jeonghan is instantaneous, and if he thinks about it hard enough, it’s also terrifying. However, he doesn’t let his rationality have the best of him when enjoying Joshua’s company. 

“Are you kidding me?” the blonde demands, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at him. Jeonghan almost laughs at how similar to Seungcheol’s disappointed-dad stance that is.

“Why would I?” Jeonghan sits sideways, facing Joshua and grinning at him, “Don’t you think that if he was interested in me he’d make a move himself, by this point?” 

The look on Joshua’s face is one of complete disbelief.

“Hannie,” he starts, puts his hand over Jeonghan’s knee and rubs his thumb over it in slow circles, “You know how much I appreciate Seungcheol, and how much I care for him. But still, I can’t deny that he’s an oblivious dumbass.”

 _That makes two of you_ , Jeonghan almost says, but instead he bites the inside of his cheek and focuses on Joshua’s warm touch through the fabric of his sweats. 

“Did he tell you how we met?” Joshua asks, his eyes trained on his own fingers tracing pattern over the grey clothes covering Jeonghan’s legs. “Yes, he said you gave him your number. Very bold of you,” Jeonghan teases, tries to redirect Joshua’s attention elsewhere. It’s not very effective. Joshua snorts. 

“Yeah, I gave him my number. And you know how much later he used the number I gave him?”

Jeonghan doesn’t, so he shakes his head in denial. There’s a sharp grin pulling at the corners of Joshua’s mouth, the feral glint in his gaze that sometimes scares Jeonghan making a quick appearance. 

“He never used it. I had to ask Wonwoo if he could, for the love of everything that is holy, give me the number of his very hot friend.” 

The laugh Jeonghan emits is genuine, because the story fits perfectly with Seungcheol’s character. There’s a sigh from Joshua, and then the fingers on Jeonghan’s knee move to his shoulder, smoothing the texture of his t-shirt. Joshua’s eyes are sharp when they meet Jeonghan’s. 

“And even after I texted him first, it took me a lot of patience before snapping and asking him to come over at mine,” Joshua looks away, maybe a little embarrassed when he says: “I had to tell him I was very, _very_ stressed for him to get the hint.”

“Yeah, sounds like him.”

“Then, why aren’t _you_ making the first move? You’re clearly into him,” Joshua rolls his eyes when Jeonghan opens his mouth to protest, puts his forefinger over his lips to shut him up, “And he likes you, too.” 

“You keep saying that, but there’s no evidence to back up your words.” 

Joshua scoffs, his hand moving upwards through Jeonghan’s hair, combing through it to get it out of his face. It rests at the back of his head, his digits slowly massaging his scalp. If Jeonghan was a cat that would be the moment he’d start purring. 

“There’s no way you haven’t caught the longing gazes,” Joshua says, and then proceeds to do a very scarily accurate representation of the expression Seungcheol has on his face when Joshua isn’t looking at him, all starry wide eyes and pouty lips. _That’s how he looks at you_ , Jeonghan wants to say, but Joshua starts working his fingers on his neck, and his words die on the tip of his tongue, his head lolling forward in relaxation. 

“Whatever you say, Shua,” Jeonghan concedes after a couple of minutes, when he gets control back over his mouth and the ability to form coherent sentences. Joshua has very skilled hands. His friend hums, lightly grazes his nails over Jeonghan’s skin and then lets go of him, tearing a whine out of his mouth. The front door opens, and they both turn towards it to take in the sight of a very disheveled Seungcheol making his entrance, a big smile lighting up his face when he spots the two of them. Jeonghan doesn’t know if he’s grateful or annoyed by the interruption, but he hopes both of them forget about their interests in his love life. 

If he goes over to Seokmin’s place that night, it’s just because he’s a very weak man with a very weak heart.

~

“Hyung, I don’t want to be mean,” Seokmin starts as Jeonghan sits on his bed, a cup full of milk and cereal in his hands. Maybe Jeonghan is sulking even before Seokmin finishes his sentence. The boy sitting in front of him couldn’t be mean even if he tried, a ray of sunshine crafted by angels and put on earth, but that doesn’t mean Jeonghan is ready to hear the truth he’s going to lay over him. “Then don’t say anything.”

Seokmin pouts a little, but opens his mouth so Jeonghan can feed him anyway. The only sound filling the cramped room is the one of his teeth at work, and when he’s done he decides he can’t spare Jeonghan from his thoughts. 

“You’re being stupid.” 

This time is Jeonghan that pouts, and it’s Seokmin that forces food between his lips. They’ve taken this habit of spoon-feeding each other whenever they’re alone, and Jeonghan can’t say he’s really bothered by it. All in all, it’s cute. 

“They’re just guys,” Seokmin says, takes another spoonful to Jeonghan’s mouth, “You’ve dated plenty of guys. You’ve dated me!” He recalls, his eyes disappearing with the force of his smile when Jeonghan eats what he’s given. “What is it now, you’ve suddenly become shy? You, _the_ Yoon Jeonghan?”

Maybe Seokmin has a point, but he’s not about to say it to his face. Instead, he makes sure the younger eats his breakfast and shuts up. For a while they’re both silent, their bowls slowly emptying, jaws working. Chewing and slurping noises fill the room, the only other sound the one of the drama playing on Seokmin’s laptop that neither of them is watching. 

“It’s just that I like them both, and I don’t know how to act.”

“Understandable.” 

Seokmin stands up to stack their empty bowls on his desk, and then sits closer to Jeonghan, putting an arm around his middle. Jeonghan rests his head over his friend’s shoulder and sighs. Maybe Seokmin isn’t the right person to ask for advice, because when it comes to feelings he’s not exactly vocal about them, but he’s great at giving comforting touches and encouragement. 

“I mean, who wouldn’t like Seungcheol-hyung,” Seokmin rests his cheek against Jeonghan’s head, squeezes his side lightly. The older emits a whine, lets Seokmin’s warmth soak into his bones. “He’s the perfect man.”

They spend the entire morning ignoring the fact that Jeonghan is trying to bury his feelings with several rounds of sex, ignoring the fact that this is the third time in a week that he’s there to escape his own head.

“You know, Seok-ah,” Jeonghan says at some point, lying down on Seokmin’s bed while the latter rests his sweaty forehead against his shoulder. The younger is hovering above him, elbows on either side of his face, and his breath is coming out troubled against Jeonghan’s naked skin. 

“What?” 

“I think you should tell Soonyoung how you feel.”

Seokmin freezes, then bites with purpose on his clavicle and makes Jeonghan yelp in pain. A loud laugh comes out of Jeonghan’s mouth, his hand yanking on Seokmin’s hair to detach him from his skin and look him in the eyes. 

“You should take your own advice, he’s just a guy!” 

“I’m terrified of him, hyung.”

There’s giggles filling the room once Jeonghan rolls them over, pins Seokmin down and puts his face between his palms, squishing his cheeks. He leaves a peck on the tip of his pointy nose, one on the freckle below his left eye. 

“It’s complicated.”

“Everything is complicated when it comes to you,” Jeonghan points out, no real bite to his words. The pout on Seokmin’s lips gets kissed off his face, Jeonghan making sure the younger knows he was just messing with him, no real intention of hurting his feelings. There’s no need for words when Seokmin moans into the kiss, and Jeonghan makes sure to suck on his bottom lip and lick his way inside his mouth, stealing his whines straight from the source. 

A knock on the door makes them jolt apart. 

“Seok, I’m going to class!” Mingyu’s voice comes from the other side of the door, and Seokmin smiles when he tells him to have a good day, even though his friend can’t see him. “You too!” Mingyu replies, then adds as an afterthought: “Jeonghan-hyung too! Have fun!”

They laugh when they hear the front door close, before going back to their previous activities. 

Seokmin insists on driving him home several hours later, when they’re both spent and content, and even though the distance isn’t that long and he could easily walk or take a bus, Jeonghan isn’t one to decline free rides. 

Apparently Jeonghan’s life is a big joke, because when Seokmin stops in front of the door to his building there’s Joshua coming out of it. The younger’s eyebrows shoot up upon seeing him getting out of the car, and he waves a hand in the air in greeting. 

“There you are,” Joshua says after taking the few steps separating them and smiling sweetly, all round, gentle eyes and plump lips, “I thought you disappeared into thin air. I haven’t seen you around at all this week.”

There’s the sound of a car horn when Jeonghan is too busy staring at Joshua’s face to close the door behind his back. Seokmin grins when Jeonghan turns around to glare at him, before opening his mouth to say something, probably a very annoying statement about Jeonghan being embarrassing. The older slams the door shut over his nose, where he’s leaning over the passenger seat to take a better look at Joshua. Seokmin, the little shit he is, rolls the window down.

“See you later, hyung!” He yells at Jeonghan, all wide, toothy smile that could light up the whole galaxy. Flicking his forefinger at his nose, Jeonghan bids him goodbye, wishing him to go back safely. There’s a flash of Seokmin’s tongue before he rolls the window back up and disappears from view. Joshua is still staring at the car when Jeonghan turns around to look at him. His friend looks tired, dark circles under his eyes, glasses on the bridge of his nose and hair a bit messy. Before he can stop himself, Jeonghan is reaching out to smooth a blonde strand that is sticking in a weird direction. Startled at the touch, Joshua jumps up in surprise before turning back towards him. 

“You look like shit,” Jeonghan tells him, still trying to fix the mess on top of his head. Finally relaxing into the touch, Joshua sighs. “It’s been a few rough days. I needed you to vent a little, but you ghosted me.” The blonde is pouting, and Jeonghan curses his own self for being such a terrible friend. After giving up on Joshua’s hair, he retreats his hand to his own side.

“I’m sorry, I was busy.”

“With him?” Joshua nods towards the direction in which Seokmin drove away. The question isn’t a loaded one, Joshua doesn’t sound annoyed, just genuinely curious, but Jeonghan’s stomach drops a little anyway. “Who’s the guy?”

“Seokmin,” Jeonghan bites out, already dreading the rest of the conversation. Joshua knows who Seokmin is, knows that he was the last boy Jeonghan was with, knows that it’s been a year ago, knows how that relationship ended. 

“Oh,” Joshua simply says, “Didn’t know he was so handsome!” He’s smiling, and Jeonghan’s hand is still itching to put the unruly strands on top of his head in order. Or maybe to cup his face and wipe the grin off Joshua’s lips with his own. One of the two. Before he can finally surrender to his own desires, Joshua is looking at his watch and gasping. “Fuck, I’m late for class,” he affirms, before fist-bumping Jeonghan’s shoulder and running away in the direction of campus. 

“If you have some free time we can see each other tonight,” he throws over his shoulder before walking away, “I’ll bring pizza.” 

Jeonghan can’t really say no to that.

Seungcheol has an evening shift at the vet clinic he’s working for, so when he comes back home in the late hours of the night he finds them sprawled on the living room floor, pizza boxes empty, beer bottles half full. There’s a soft smile on his face when he spots Joshua napping with his head nestled in Jeonghan’s lap, a fond look lighting up his gaze. 

“Should I wake him up?” Jeonghan whispers, and Seungcheol jumps up in surprise, one of his hands coming up to his chest to check the beating of his heart. 

“You scared me!” He accuses, squatting down so he can look Jeonghan in the eyes, “I thought you were asleep too!”

“Nah, but my ass has fallen asleep for sure.” 

They share a quiet laugh, trying not to wake Joshua up, and then Seungcheol is bending towards the younger to scoop him up in his arms. There’s a soft whine coming out of Joshua’s lips at being jostled from his comfortable position, but soon enough he’s clinging to Seungcheol, burying his face in his neck. A spark of what feels like envy burns below Jeonghan’s sternum, but he tries to ignore it as best as he can. 

“Goodnight, Jeonghanie. Thanks for taking care of this loser,” Seungcheol is grinning, his gums showing up with the force of it. The pull Jeonghan feels is hard to ignore, the need to trail behind him and Joshua and fall asleep buried between the heat of their bodies so strong he almost takes a step in the wrong direction. Instead, he turns on his heels and mumbles his goodnight to the darkness of the corridor, before closing the door of his room behind his back and sagging against it. 

~

Jeonghan doesn’t know what Seungcheol is trying to achieve, but for sure he isn’t being very subtle. 

The first time it happens, Jeonghan chalks it up to Seungcheol being busy and having days so packed he forgets his own schedule. When Joshua knocks on the door of their apartment on an evening during which Seungcheol has a night shift and isn’t supposed to come home until early morning, Jeonghan invites his friend in anyway. They have dinner together, ordering chicken and playing rock paper scissors before hitting each other’s foreheads with food, like the adults they clearly aren’t. They spend the evening catching up and cuddling, a bottle of wine shared in the dimly-lit living room between peals of laughter and teasing. Joshua leaves just after midnight, brushing his lips against his cheek in goodbye and leaving a flustered Jeonghan behind the door he closes on his face. 

The second time, Jeonghan gets home after a whole day at his internship with a pounding headache and a crease between his brows. His annoyance at his boss and the universe in general prevents him from spotting a pair of shoes discarded next to the entrance that don't belong to him or Seungcheol, and when he faceplants on the sofa he fails to notice the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. He lays there with his eyes closed, contemplating the void inside his head until someone touches the back of it. Jumping up in surprise, he almost headbutts Joshua in the face, the younger hunched down and hovering above Jeonghan’s curled up form on the sofa.

“What are you doing here?” He demands, frazzled when he notices the towel hanging from the blonde’s hips. The smooth expanse of tanned, glistening skin of his torso makes it hard for Jeonghan to focus on anything above his collarbones. There’s a small drop of water making its way down from the hollow at the base of Joshua’s neck, down towards his pecs, down lower, down, down. Jeonghan’s eyes snap back towards Joshua’s face to find an amused little grin curling his lips.

“I had an accident at the cafè, and Seungcheol said I could come over and have a shower, that there was no one home. Your place is closer than mine.” Joshua’s smirk grows, and Jeonghan’s eyebrows knit over his eyes. Seungcheol knows his schedule by heart.

“You gave me a heart attack,” Jeonghan says instead of pointing out the weirdness of it all, reaches up and swats his hand playfully at Joshua’s nacked peck. They both ignore the way Jeonghan’s fingers brush against Joshua’s nipple, even though Jeonghan can see the tips of the younger’s ears getting a bit red. 

“I’m sorry,” Joshua laughs, straightens his spine and crosses his arms over his naked chest. Jeonghan tries not to look down. “I will be out of your hair in a couple of minutes. Do you have a white shirt I can borrow?” Jeonghan looks down to Joshua’s slim hips and the way the towel hangs dangerously low on them. “Sure,” Jeonghan replies, and then takes a full minute to move from his spot, ignoring the snort coming out of Joshua. When Joshua disappears through the door after getting dressed in his borrowed clothes, Jeonghan swears he’s not staring at his retreating ass. 

The third time, Jeonghan can’t call it a coincidence anymore. 

They were supposed to meet up for brunch at Jeognhan’s favourite cafè. Supposed to, because Seungcheol is running thirty minutes late and Jeonghan’s patience is thinning by the minute. Sure, he adores Seungcheol, but he’d be quite annoyed if he got stood up without a reason or a message. It’s a Sunday, and Seungcheol wasn’t home when Jeonghan woke up that morning, a text on his phone asking him if he wanted to meet his roommate for a friendly middle of the morning meal. Given the fact that he didn’t have any plans for the day, Jeonghan accepted the offer.

Now, sitting alone with an empty cup of coffee in front of him, he’s regretting it. He could have stayed home, under the warm covers of his soft bed, instead of wasting time in the cold, harsh world. 

The bell over the entrance door chimes, and Jeonghan’s gaze is naturally attracted to it, the noise calling for his attention. Who he sees is not who he was expecting, but he raises his hand in the air anyway, waving at the man.

Joshua looks surprised to see him there, his eyebrows knitted over his eyes when he makes his way over and plops down in the chair in front of him with the grace of someone who’d rather be asleep than out in the streets. Jeonghan can relate.

“Good morning,” the blonde groans, hiding a yawn behind his palm before reaching out to steal Jeonghan’s cup from under his nose. Disappointment clouds his face when he realizes it’s empty. “What are you doing here? Do you perhaps have,” he pauses, looks around conspiratorially and lowers his voice, “a date?”

Before he can stop himself, Jeonghan is laughing. “I don’t think you can call having brunch with my roommate a date,” he points out, using the same tone of voice Joshua is adopting, a hand covering his mouth to pretend he’s telling a very juicy secret, “but if you want to call it that, then it’s a date.”

“I thought you were out with Seokmin,” Joshua pouts, deflates a little in his seat. Then, as an afterthought, “Wait, what? Are you here with Seungcheol?”

“More like I’m waiting for him,” Jeonghan supplies, looks at his phone screen to check the time, “and he’s exactly forty minutes late.” He unlocks his smartphone, checks his notifications just in case he missed a call or a message. There’s a meme from Soonyoung, but that’s it. Nothing from Seungcheol. He sighs, puts the device down and looks at Joshua, who’s already staring at him with an amused smile curling his lips. 

“What?” Jeonghan demands, “Is there something on my face?”

“Only handsomeness,” Joshua deadpans, putting his elbows on the table and resting his chin on the palms of his hands. “And betrayal. I think Seungcheol set us up.” 

Jeonghan’s eyebrows rise in surprise. 

“He said he would meet me here, too,” the blonde explains, shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal, “I guess he’s not coming, is he?” The expression on Joshua’s face gets a little bit wicked. “Oh, Choi Seungcheol,” he bites out, shaking his head, “What a moron.”

Jeonghan can’t stop the giggle that erupts from his lips, part shocked, part amused. It’s something he would never expect from Seungcheol, but he recognizes his faults. That is a move taken directly from Yoon Jeonghan’s book, something he discussed with Seungcheol once when they were talking of ways they could push Seokmin and Soonyoung together. As usual, the older man proves himself to be an excellent listener. 

“You should probably tell him about Seokmin,” Joshua states, his grin dimming a bit, “I tried to, but he wouldn’t listen.”

For a second Jeonghan thinks he’s said something out loud, but he’s pretty sure his thoughts were safe inside his mind. He cocks his head to the side, watches as Joshua waves a hand in the air to call for the attention of a waitress. When their order is placed, Jeonghan is still confused about his words.

“What do you mean?” 

Joshua looks torn, and Jeonghan would tease him relentlessly on any other day, but right now he feels like there’s an important piece he’s missing. 

“The thing with Seokmin,” Joshua says, avoiding Jeonghan’s gaze, “I think you should tell Seungcheol before he keeps trying to push us together even more.” The younger pauses, probably mulling over his next words. Jeonghan doesn’t rush him, stays silent and watches as Joshua fidgets with the silver ring on his pinky finger. 

“It was a bet between the two of us, at first,” he confesses, eyes trained on the table. A soft blush colors his cheeks, his voice growing even quieter, “On trying to see who would you hook up with if we tried to push you a little bit.”

Jeonghan stares, his lips parted. “What?” He says, and Joshua cringes at the sound, finally raising his face and staring into Jeonghan’s eyes. The smile on his lips is apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I kept telling him you liked him, and he said you liked _me_ , instead. I just wanted you two to be happy!” Joshua whines, pouting a little. Confusion must be clear on Jeonghan’s face, because Joshua is ready to explain himself better. There’s a pause while their coffee order gets delivered, and Jeonghan is still trying to wrap his mind around whatever Joshua is trying to say.

“You know, I told you that I thought you and Seungcheol would make a great couple,” Joshua reminds him while he stirs sugar in his beverage, gaze fixed on the mug in his hands, “And when I told Seungcheol the same thing he kept on insisting that you weren’t interested in him, but you liked me instead.”

Jeonghan makes a strangled noise at the back of his throat, one that makes Joshua’s attention snap on him.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, go on.”

“Well, we were both convinced of being right, so we,” Joshua clears his throat, looks guilty for a second, his hands still fidgeting with his cup. Jeonghan takes a sip of his own coffee. He can’t say he isn’t partly amused by Joshua’s embarrassment. “We might have become a bit competitive. When you got stuck together with him in the laundry room two weeks ago it wasn’t because the handle broke, it was because I locked you inside.”

“You little minx,” Jeonghan laughs, endeared by Joshua’s rosy cheeks. 

“I told Seungcheol to stop though, when I saw you coming back from Seokmin’s house. You seemed so cheerful, and I don’t want to mess with your happiness. But he won’t listen.”

A coo makes its way out of Jeonghan’s mouth, and his fingers reach out to stop the incessant stirring of Joshua’s beverage. Still, he’s confused.

“How’s Seokmin related to any of this?” 

Joshua’s eyebrows shoot up, comically high, his lips curling down. “What do you mean how? Since you two are back together it doesn’t seem right to toy with your feelings. I was also hoping Seungcheol would finally admit his crush, but now it feels bad to play with him when you’re not available anymore.”

Laughter fills Jeonghan’s chest, spilling out of him before he can stop it. Puzzlement is what he sees in Joshua’s gaze when he finally stops and takes a breath.

“I’m not back with Seokmin, Shua.” The mere idea of it makes Jeonghan chuckle louder, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “We’re just having fun. Like you and Seungcheol.” 

The spoon between Joshua’s fingers falls inside the cup, a crestfallen expression on his pretty face. “Oh,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper, and Jeonghan smiles at him. It’s probably his time to come clean.

“I actually went more often to Seokmin’s these days because I didn’t want to interfere with you and Seungcheol. Because I see the way you two look at each other, and it makes me feel like an intruder, at times.”

They stare at each other, silence stretching in the space between them. Joshua seems surprised, his eyebrows raised high, his mouth hanging open.

"You're not back with Seokmin?" He asks for confirmation, cocking his head to the side with what seems like realization lighting up his gaze.

"I'm not, we're seeing each other just for," Jeonghan pauses, bites his tongue over the word _sex_ , "stress relief."

Joshua snorts at that, retrieving his spoon and getting back to mixing the sugar in his coffee, the expression on his face one of pensive concentration. Jeonghan uses that pause to finally drink a bit of his own beverage, his focus still on the man in front of him, waiting for whatever Joshua is cooking up in his mischievous mind.

"What about your crush on Seungcheol, then?"

A sharp inhale, and Jeonghan finds himself coughing because of hot coffee going down the wrong pipe, all the while Joshua does nothing to help him, his fingers laced together under his chin, his elbows on the table. It takes Jeonghan a full minute to go back to his regular breathing, and he still feels the occlusion of his windpipe every time he inhales.

"What crush?" He croaks out, even if he knows it's a flimsy attempt at denial. Joshua has seen through him since day one. As if on cue, Joshua tuts in annoyance, eyes so intense Jeonghan feels like he's going to spontaneously combust if he keeps on staring at him like that.

"C'mon, there's no need to pretend," Joshua grins, the smile of an angel to anyone else in the room, but the man sitting in front of him can see the feral glint in his eyes from up close. The blonde could probably fool anyone, but not Jeonghan. The two of them are one and the same.

"What about my crush?" Jeonghan concedes, rolling his eyes at Joshua's expression of triumph, "What about my crush on you?"

There it is, finally out in the open, the truth. Jeonghan doesn't dare to raise his head, doesn't let himself peek at Joshua. Before he can help himself, a confession is bubbling out of him.

"I've been crushing on you for months now, but apparently you were too focused on my heart eyes for Seungcheol to see that I was directing the same attention at you."

It's quite absurd, in Jeonghan's opinion, that all this time the answer was right below his nose and he didn't see it. None of them saw it. When he finally looks up, he sees the same realization dawning on Joshua, his eyes sparkling with understanding. There's a faint blush on his cheeks, red that shines beautifully on his skin. Jeonghan really wants to reach out and kiss the pretty smile off his face.

"This is incredibly funny," Joshua points out, mirth seeping in his voice. When he takes a sip of his coffee, he grimaces at the taste. "Gosh, I think I put too much sugar in this thing."

"You dumped three packets in it," Jeonghan points out to the empty containers on the wooden surface, amused by the way their conversation is taking unexpected turns. Thinking he was supposed to meet Seungcheol for breakfast that day, and now he's told Joshua he has feelings for the both of them. How funny life is, at times.

"So," Joshua starts, steals Jeonghan's cup from between his fingers and takes a sip of it, looking content and peaceful with his theft, "You like me, uh?" He wiggles his eyebrows, trying to seem cool and collected, but Jeonghan can still see the crimson tips of his ears.

"I suppose so, yes."

"Cool, because I like you too."

"Yeah, I figured."

At that, they erupt in boisterous laughs, startling the waitress who was heading towards them with their food order. Jeonghan sees her freezing in the spot, balancing the tray in her hands before anything can fall from her hold. When she leaves everything on the table, she side-eyes them with what seems mild concern. Jeonghan understands her, since they're still trying to suppress fits of giggles by the time she's walked back behind the counter.

When they've finally calmed down enough to eat something and avoid choking on it, they resume their conversation, wide smiles still plastered to their faces.

"So, what about Seungcheol? Do you really think he’s into me? Romantically?" Joshua demands, stuffing his cheeks with rice. Jeonghan considers the idea of teasing him, saying that no, Seungcheol probably doesn't think Joshua is anything but a good lay, but then he thinks of the way he's seen his roommate look at the blonde and something gets stuck in his throat.

"Yeah," he voices out, takes his coffee back from Joshua and washes his food down with it.

"Well, what are we gonna do about this whole," Joshua gestures between the two of them wildly with his fork, "situation?"

"I'm still a bit mad that the two of you were trying to push me in the other's arms," Jeonghan reasons, "So what if we do the same thing? You try to set him up with me, and I try to set him up with you."

"Isn't that a bit cruel?"

"Wasn't it when you were doing it with me?" Jeonghan puffs his cheeks up, and Joshua smiles, reaches over and taps the clean end of his fork against his chin. "Fine, you're right."

They eat in silence for a while, the background noises of the cafè keeping them company while they refill their stomachs. Jeonghan's coffee is gone, shared between the two of them, while Joshua's stays abandoned on the side, by then cold and too sugary in the first place.

When they make their way out of there, it's with their fingers interlocked and matching smiles on their faces after the waitress called them a cute couple while they were paying their bill. They don't correct her. 

~

Nothing really changes. Joshua still sleeps with Seungcheol, and him and Jeonghan still eat breakfast together the mornings after, having small conversation over rice that Seungcheol left ready for them. 

Except something does change. Like Jeonghan reaching over to smooth down Joshua’s hair, fixing unruly strands, and then dragging his fingers along his jaw, making his cheeks bloom in a soft crimson blush. Like Joshua wrapping his arms around Jeonghan’s middle while the older is spreading butter on bread at the kitchen counter, the knife held tight in his hand almost slipping from his fingers when Joshua rests his chin on his shoulder, burying his nose against Jeonghan’s neck. Like Jeonghan crowding Joshua against the sofa while they’re watching one of their movies, their eyes locked and lips a breath apart, until they hear the front door beeping and they spring apart at the speed of light, smiling when Seungcheol makes his way inside the room.

It’s an elaborate dance, one that has them tiptoeing around each other. A push and pull that would drive Jeonghan mad if he wasn’t so sure that Joshua really, really wants him as much as he does. Instead of losing his mind, he enjoys playing their little game, running his fingers over Joshua’s thigh while they watch a movie, forgetting to put on pants when he goes to open the door for him. Joshua is a merciless player, circling around Jeonghan and teasing him until he’s left craving for more, wanting for Joshua to close the gap between them when he leans in and fixes Jeonghan’s hair with careful touches. It never happens.

Until, one morning, Joshua is leaving the apartment in a rush. He’s dressed in his work clothes, white shirt tucked into black slacks, a backpack thrown over his shoulder. His hair falls in soft waves over his forehead, and Jeonghan is so enamoured he stops to look at him as he puts on shoes in the entrance. 

“Fuck, I forgot my phone on the table,” Joshua points out after patting his pockets and finding them empty. “Wait,” Jeonghan takes it for him, reaches Joshua at the door and puts the device in his hand, “Here. You’re gonna forget your pretty little head one day.” Jeonghan smiles, and Joshua smiles right back at him. 

“Oh, what I would do without you?” Joshua asks, and then presses a quick kiss to Jeonghan’s lips before disappearing with a _see you later!_ shouted while the door closes behind his back. 

Standing there like an idiot, Jeonghan wonders if he just imagined that or if it really happened, his hand coming up to touch his mouth, where he can still feel the warmth Joshua left behind him. It takes the door beeping and opening for him to regain control over his mind, and when he does that he finds Joshua standing there, frazzled, his chest rising and falling rapidly with the rhythm of his breathing.

“Did I just kiss you?” Joshua asks, sounding as puzzled as Jeonghan feels. The older of the two can’t do anything but nod his head, his hand still over his own lips. Joshua gasps. “ _Fuck_ ,” he says in English, and that’s when Jeonghan recoils, finally snapping back into his own body. “Did you just curse?” 

“That’s what you choose to focus on?” Joshua sounds amused, but he also looks ready to tear his hair out. “I fucking kissed you!” 

“Yeah, I noticed.” Jeonghan is still standing close to the door, where he was when Joshua left him five minutes ago after kissing him and running out. It takes him one single step to get to Joshua, and one single second to press their mouths together. Joshua gasps, startled, and Jeonghan takes his cue to slide his tongue past his lips, kissing him properly, kissing him how he’s supposed to be kissed. After the initial shock, Joshua is fast to recover, his hands cupping Jeonghan’s face while Jeonghan’s clutch at his shirt to bring him closer. 

When they separate it’s with troubled breaths coming out of them, Jeonghan feeling dizzy. They stare at each other, Joshua’s fingers still around Jeonghan’s cheeks. “I’m late for work,” Joshua says, leaving a quick peck on Jeonghan’s mouth before letting him go. “We’ll talk about this later,” he says as a goodbye. As fast as he came back, he’s gone again. Jeonghan’s whole body feels like he’s been electrocuted. 

To be honest, there’s not much to talk about. That’s why, when Joshua comes back that evening with a tired face and a sour scowl, Jeonghan crowds him against the door and kisses him stupid, kisses his lips, his jaw, his neck. Kisses him until the worry of the day melts away and a pretty smile lights up his expression. There’s kimchi that Jeonghan’s mom made in the fridge, and there are leftovers from the night before to eat it with, so they settle on the couch with a movie playing while they fill their stomachs. It’s normal, their usual routine. Once they’re done eating Joshua falls down on the sofa, his head in Jeonghan’s lap; they do that all the time. 

They’re halfway through the movie, Jeonghan combing his fingers through Joshua’s hair, when Seungcheol gets home. The door opens and closes behind him, and both Jeonghan and Joshua are staring at him. He stops in the entrance, takes a look at them, cocks his head to the side like a confused puppy. 

“Something’s different,” he says, his eyebrows knitted, “Did you burn something in the kitchen?”

Peals of laughter bounce off the walls, Jeonghan and Joshua giggling so hard that soon enough there are tears welling up in their eyes. Seungcheol stands next to the door, his shoes still on, looking between them like they’ve just lost their minds. Give it to Seungcheol to feel the shift in the air between them just like that, with his incredible dad-sensor. 

“Are you guys high?” Seungcheol asks, suspicion all over his face, cueing another fit of unstoppable laughs. Shaking his head, he finally gets inside. He mumbles something below his breath as he ventures to the kitchen, ignoring them. “We’re not high!” Joshua manages to say when he’s calmed down enough, sounding out of breath. “Yeah, Cheol-ah, we’re fine!” Jeonghan joins. Seungcheol’s head peeks out from the kitchen, but he still looks at them as if unconvinced of what they’re saying.

“You’re hiding something from me,” Seungcheol reasons, narrowing his eyes, “and I’m gonna discover what that is.”

 _Sure you are_ , Jeonghan thinks, his eyes meeting Joshua’s before they yet again start to giggle uncontrollably.

After that night, they _do_ talk about it. They talk about their feelings, the talk about their intentions, they talk about their needs. They talk about their relationship, and their relationships with Seungcheol as well, and the way they’d like for all three of them to fit together, to stop circling around each other.

Nothing really changes, Joshua still sleeps with Seungcheol, and him and Jeonghan still eat breakfast together the mornings after, sharing kisses in the mellow light of the early day. 

Once they start doing that, it’s hard to keep their hands to each other, hard to stop themselves when Seungcheol is in the room with them, still oblivious of everything that’s happening between them (but suspicious, very suspicious.) Riding the thrill of hiding their plotting from Seungcheol makes them giddy, makes them do silly things like closing themselves in the bathroom to make out while Seungcheol is in the living room. The scheming doesn’t stop at that. Their little plan involves Seungcheol too, after all. 

They stop trying to push Seungcheol in the other’s arm, and they start trying to make him fall for both of them.

It begins with the little things: cuddling together on the couch, Seungcheol sandwiched between them; eating meals together, racing each other to push spoonfuls of food inside Seungcheol’s mouth; going out for drinks together, laughing at whatever Seungcheol says and touching him as much as possible, soft caresses that are supposed to convey a message. What they’re trying to do should be clear, but it’s Seungcheol they’re dealing with. The man is _dense_. 

“Do you think that if he finds us naked together on his bed he’ll finally get the hint?” Jeonghan asks at some point, sitting at the counter of Joshua’s workplace, a tiny cat curled up in his lap (his name is Milk, and he’s Wonwoo’s favourite.) Joshua is making a cappuccino, a focused frown on his face as he pours the hot foamed milk in the cup to make a cat shape. 

“Maybe,” he sighs, finishing his artwork with a flourish and putting it on a tray for someone else to pick it up. His eyes meet Jeonghan, and there the feral glint is, the one Jeonghan is starting to associate with Joshua’s scheming. “Maybe,” he repeats, sounding a little more convinced, “It could be the only way.”

“Bows around our dicks with a tag that says _‘Date us?’_ ”

A snort, sound of glass softly hitting other glass while Joshua looks for a juice to pour into a cat-shaped cup. Milk is purring as Jeonghan’s petting him, his soft fur feeling like silk under Jeonghan’s fingers. 

“Maybe,” Joshua retairates, as he rings a bell to signal that the order is ready, placing the juice on the tray with the cappuccino. “Maybe we should just talk to him.”

Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asks, shaking his head no, “You’re boring.”

“ _You’re_ boring.”

“What are you, twelve? Find your own insults.”

Joshua puts a coffee cup with little cat ears in front of Jeonghan. He says thanks by stretching over the counter to steal a kiss from Joshua, careful of not jostling Milk from his spot on his lap. 

“Fine, we can do it your way,” Joshua gives in after a while, when his shift is over and they’re heading home together, hand in hand. If asked about it, Jeonghan would say that holding Joshua’s hand is his second favourite thing to do while they walk together; the first one is stopping to press him against random, unsuspecting inanimate objects to make out with him. “We wait for him in bed.”

“You’re so sexy when you do as I say,” Jeonghan points out, stopping in his tracks to kiss Joshua in the middle of the street. “Would you eat a cactus if I asked?” 

“If you don’t shut up I’m going to push you under a car.”

“You like me too much to do that.” Jeonghan’s shit-eating grin is directed at Joshua, who has a scowl on his face, his nose curled up. “Sadly, that I do.”

~

It’s an easy plan, foolproof even. 

Or it should be at least, if Jeonghan wasn’t so utterly whipped for Choi Seungcheol. The crush that he’s tried to suppress for so long has grown and grown and _grown_ , becoming so big it barely fits the borders of what a crush should be, edging on something _more_. It should be easy, but as most things in life do, it doesn’t go as planned.

It feels like coming full circle, because everything ends the way it started: with breakfast. Seungcheol is wearing a grey tank top and basketball sweats, his hair a mess, his face scrunched up as he stands next to the stove. When Jeonghan puts foot in the kitchen that day he stops and stares at the way the morning light falls on his face, his lips looking so pink, soft and kissable. He has the urge to cross the room in long strides and push the older man against the counter. 

Seungcheol turns around when he hears his footsteps approaching, a wide smile on his lips. 

“Good morning sleepyhead,” he says, all of his teeth on display, “Did you rest well? I’m making some pancakes.”

Jeonghan nods, pours some coffee for the two of them and sits the cups on the counter, next to where Seungcheol is cooking. “I’m exhausted because of the hellish week I just had,” Jeonghan replies after the first sip of warm, dark beverage, “But I did sleep well.”

The grin on Seungcheol’s face dims, but he makes sure to reach out to fix Jeonghan’s hair with deft fingers before flipping the food in the pan, a comforting gesture that has Jeonghan craving for more, wanting to reach for the warmth of his touch.

“I’m glad to hear that.” There is a plate full of fruit sitting on the kitchen table, and Jeonghan is eyeing it suspiciously. “Are those raspberries?” He asks, excited at the sight of the berries he loves the most. Despite how much he likes them, he doesn’t buy them often, because they’re quite expensive. Seungcheol nods, pointing towards them with a spatula in his hand. “Go for it, I bought them for you.”

“You did?!”

“I knew you had a hard week, I wanted your free day to be a good one.” 

Jeonghan freezes on the spot, his heart trying to climb up his throat with the way it’s beating in overdrive. He has to clutch a hand over his sleep shirt, trying to make it go slower. When Seungcheol throws a glance his way, he finds him standing there with a hand over his sternum, eyes a bit glassy. 

“Hey, are you ok Hannie?” Concern is written all over his pretty face, and Jeonghan can’t keep it for himself anymore. The confession bubbles out of him naturally, like it was meant to do for the past month or so. 

“God, I’m so in love with you.” 

“What?!”

The noise the metal spatula makes when falling on the kitchen floor is jarring, makes Jeonghan recoil. Seungcheol is looking at him like he just sprouted a second head, eyes bulging out of his head, mouth open in surprise. 

“What did you just say?!”

 _Shit_ , Jeonghan thinks, _there goes our plan_. He breathes in a sharp inhale, walking towards Seungcheol, taking his hands in his and making sure he has his full attention before speaking again. Seungcheol’s fingers grip at his own like a lifeline, his hold strong but a bit shaky. Jeonghan understands him, he also feels like he’s going to vibrate out of his own skin. 

“Cheollie, I think I’m in love with you,” he repeats, smiling softly when Seungcheol’s hold on him grows tighter. If he’s not running away that must be a good sign, right? “Have been for a while now, if I’m being honest.”

“You’re kidding. This is a prank.” Seungcheol turns back and forth, as if looking for something hidden from view. “Tell Joshua to come out, this joke isn’t funny.” 

“There’s no Joshua, this is not a joke.” Jeonghan frowns, tugs at Seungcheol’s hands to call for his attention. When the older is focused on his face once again, Jeonghan repeats himself slowly, making sure he sounds as sure and sincere as possible. 

“I’m in love with you,” he says again, looks at the way Seungcheol’s mouth curls in a pout, probably ready to interrupt him. Instead of pausing and giving him the chance, he goes on: “Since the first time you made breakfast for me, most likely. You’ve always taken care of me, and I couldn’t help but fall for you.”

“Stop playing.” Seungcheol’s bottom lip wobbles, his gaze falling to the floor, “Stop. I know you and Joshua are together.”

“You know?!”

There’s a tiny nod from the older. “If you thought you were being subtle, you weren’t.”

Jeonghan can’t help but snort at that, and Seungcheol’s shoulders come up to his ears at the noise, looking almost tiny with the way he’s folding on himself to protect his heart. Instead of saying anything else, Jeonghan lets go of his hands to cup his face, making it so that their eyes meet again. There’s disappointment written in Seungcheol’s pretty eyes.

“We weren’t,” Jeonghan confirms, a smirk on his lips that he can’t wipe away, “We were trying to be as not subtle as possible. We were actually trying to seduce you.”

“What?!” Seungcheol repeats, heartbreak giving space to confusion on his face. Jeonghan wants to kiss his emotions off his lips. “We talked about it, and we’re on the same page. We’d love to date you, as well. If you want to, obviously.” 

“Dating? You two are dating?”

“Sort of,” Jeonghan shrugs, “Weren’t we doing that to begin with? All those movie nights?”

There’s a split second during which Jeonghan thinks Seungcheol is going to bolt out of the room and pack his bags to never return, despite Jeonghan still cupping his face. Instead of running away, his fingers slowly reach Jeonghan’s, covering his hands with his own. Understanding is what Jeonghan reads in that gesture. They smile at each other.

“When were you going to tell me?” Seungcheol asks, and Jeonghan cringes at the question. “Soon,” he explains, trying not to uncover their plans. “We were thinking of,” he pauses, considering how to word his thoughts, “Letting you know in a way that you couldn’t misunderstand.”

“Oh, I don’t like the sound of that.” Seungcheol giggles, his eyes disappearing and making Jeonghan’s heart swoon at the sight, “Knowing you two, it was probably some elaborate and unnecessary scheme.”

“Can’t deny it.” 

They’re laughing again, and Jeonghan’s veins are buzzing with all the words he wants to pour out, all the confessions he’s kept hidden until now trying to bubble out of him in the forms of rushed compliments: _I love the way you smile, I love the way you listen to me, I love the way you take care of me._ Instead of speaking, he leans in closer, a breath away from Seungcheol’s face, waiting. 

“I think you two together are going to be the death of me,” Seungcheol confesses, a whisper that Jeonghan feels on his mouth, “And I like you too. A lot. Maybe more than like you,” he adds, his hands moving to clutch at Jeonghan’s hips, bringing their bodies closer together. 

“It’s ok, we can figure out what exactly you feel for me later.” Jeonghan can’t stop grinning, feels his face splitting in half with the force of his happiness, “Even though, I feel like I can sense the smell of your burning desire in the air.” 

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, they both turn around towards the stove, realizing that the smell is _really there_. 

“Shit!” Seungcheol turns around to turn the stove off, but it’s already too late. The pancake in the pan is burnt to a crisp, black as coal, smoke coming out of it. They stare at it in silence for a second or two, before looking at each other and starting to laugh. By the time they calm down, they’re both out of breath, Jeonghan folded in half while Seungcheol has both hands clutching at the edge of the counter to keep himself upright. 

“Maybe next time you shouldn’t confess over breakfast,” Seungcheol points out, wiping a tear at the corner of his eye with his fingers, his voice still shaky with amusement. “I’m sorry, there’s just something about you cooking breakfast for me that drives me a little insane,” Jeonghan states, finally managing to stand to his full stature without erupting into another fit of uncontrollable giggles.

“I told you, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”

“Yet you burned it,” Jeonghan points out, staring at the sad excuse of a pancake on the stove. “Does that mean I have to eat something else?” He’s teasing, running his tongue over his lips as he eyes Seungcheol, making a scene out of letting his eyes roam over his whole body. There’s a faint blush over Seungcheol’s cheeks, but it doesn’t stop him from closing the gap between them once again, crowding Jeonghan against the fridge. 

“There’s plenty for you to eat,” Seungcheol says against Jeonghan’s lips, a barely there kiss as his whole body pushes against him. If his head spins a bit, if his eyes lose focus, Jeonghan blames it on his empty stomach. He feels his heart in his throat as Seungcheol’s eyes move over his face, stopping over his mouth. “Do you think you’re hungry enough?”

“I’m starving,” Jeonghan automatically replies, so low he’s not sure Seungcheol actually heard him. The quirk of his lips tells him otherwise. “Great,” the older says, his fingers trailing over Jeonghan’s jaw, making goosebumps erupt all over his skin, making his whole body tremble. “Then let’s eat.” Jeonghan’s eyes are sealed shut, waiting, expecting Seungcheol to close the gap between them. 

Instead, he feels him retreating. “There’s plenty of fruit, we can do without the pancakes. I can toast some bread.” When Jeonghan opens his eyes, it’s with a pout on his lips directed at Seungcheol. The grey haired man has a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“What?” He asks, the picture of innocence. Jeonghan is having none of it. 

Before he can get too far away, Jeonghan’s hands are in his hair, bringing their faces together. A glare, and then Jeonghan is kissing Seungcheol, gulping down the surprised little gasp that made its way past his lips. It’s a lot like kissing Joshua, and nothing like it at the same time. Where Joshua is teasing, Seungcheol is soft; where Joshua is insistent, Seungcheol is coaxing; Seungcheol’s arms are around him in a second, and soon enough he’s lifting Jeonghan up, hostling him up on the kitchen counter, almost knocking their coffee cups in the process. He doesn’t seem to care. 

Jeonghan thinks he should have been doing this for longer, he should have confessed that first day in which the idea of a crush appeared in his head. Seungcheol’s mouth moves to his neck, trails soft pecks along it, and Jeonghan feels like his whole body has been set on fire. His ankles hook around Seungcheol, at the small of his back, drawing him closer. The hunger in his stomach isn’t food related anymore, his lips demanding, his hands tugging at Seungcheol’s hair so they can slot their mouths together once again. 

“Well, this is an unexpected sight.” 

It’s Joshua’s voice that has them springing apart, Seungcheol yelping in pain when Jeonghan bites on his bottom lip a bit too hard. They turn around to find the blonde standing there with his arms folded over his chest, his head cocked to the side. 

“Where did our plan go, Yoon Jeonghan?” He asks, clearly amused at having found them in that state, hair disheveled, clothes messy, breaths troubled. They’re both aroused, and Joshua can tell, his eyes sharp in a way that makes heat bloom in the middle of Jeonghan’s chest. 

“I’m sorry?” Jeonghan says, but it doesn’t sound apologetic to his own ears either. There’s a snort coming out of Joshua, the feral glint in his gaze an unmistakable one now that Jeonghan has grown used to it. He’s scheming once again. 

“Should we show Cheollie here what we had in mind, before you ruined our perfect strategy?” 

Jeonghan nods his head, eager. He jumps off the counter, takes one of Seungcheol’s hands in his while Joshua does the same on the other side; they drag him towards his own room with little to no finesse. There should be more words, but apparently they aren't needed, their minds aligning with a singular intent, falling into steps together without the need to discuss furthermore. 

“I think I see where this plan is going,” Seungcheol says once they’re in his room and he’s been pushed down on his own bed by Joshua. When Joshua turns around to kiss Jeonghan, he makes a scene out of moaning as loudly as he can when Jeonghan nibbles on his bottom lip, trails his fingers over Jeonghan’s body to tug his shirt off of him. Seungcheol is groaning in agony, already worked up. Joshua is smirking as he makes quick work of his own shirt, and then he’s dragging Jeonghan towards the bed, falling to his knees between Seungcheol’s open thighs. Taking the hint, Jeonghan follows. They look at each other before directing their attention at Seungcheol, matching grins on their faces. 

“I said this once, and I’ll say it again, you two together are gonna be the death of me.”

For all the plans they've made, for all the scheming they’ve done, there wasn’t one in which they fit so perfectly with each other, curled up together in Seungcheol’s bed once they’ve exhausted themselves. Jeonghan is in the middle of them, his head over Seungcheol’s chest as Joshua is plastered to his back, breathing softly against his nape. The moment they share doesn’t need more words to be explained, but Jeonghan knows there will be some once they get up, later on. For now he’s content to lie there, surrounded by the heath of Joshua’s kisses against his neck and Seungcheol’s ones on his cheek. 

~

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If the ending feels a bit rushed it's because, well, it is. And apparently I've lost my ability to write any sort of smut. I hope it's not that bad <333
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/starryhoch) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/slytherminie) :)


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